Rescuing
by Fantasy1800
Summary: Based on the Gundalian Invaders season. After being told that his teammates are still alive, Ren gets injured by a shot from Dharak on Neathia? Will Sid save Ren and the other teammates? My first story. Please review. Disclaimer: I do not own any Bakugan.
1. Chapter 1

Anime/Manga » Bakugan Battle Brawlers » **Rescuing**

Author: N3v3rend6000

1\. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9

Rated: T - English - Friendship/Suspense - Published: 05-27-16 - Updated: 06-21-16

id:11967605

Chapter 1 – Wounded

POV: Ren

"Sid," I said, walking up towards my teammate whom I had thought was dead. I knew he was actually standing in front of me, but a small part of me figured he was nothing but an illusion. I stopped beside Sid. "I thought you were..."

"Huh? No way, dude," Sid said, knowing what I was going to say but didn't. "The others are still around, too, but they're all bottled up right now."

"They're... still alive?"

"Yup," Sid replied.

I smiled at that, glad that my friends are still alive. "That's great!"

Sid suddenly looked up and then straight back at me. "Look out!" Sid cried out, tackling me out of the way of something. I caught a glimpse of a black and purple blast coming towards us. It hit the ground, causing us to fall several feet away.

"What was that?" I heard Dan shout. I saw a black and purple dragon-like bakugan floating in the sky. "Is that –?"

"Dharak!" Drago finished Dan's question with a sense of shock in his voice.

"Insolent fool," Dharak said. "How dare you try to escape!"

"You okay?" Sid asked, helping me to my feet.

"Still in one piece," I replied.

Dharak suddenly shot more energy blasts at us, leaving us no time to teleport out of here. Sid and I ran and ran, dodging the blasts along the way.

I noticed that we were getting close to one, so, without thinking, I nudged Sid away before it made impact. The blast landed right next to me and I ended up flying through the air. Pain exploded in the back of my head.

Blackout.

POV: Sid

Ren nudged me out of the way of an incoming blast and he flew through the air, right into a rocky cliff.

"Ren!" Dan and I shouted as he fell onto his side, completely out cold from the blow in his head. His clothes were ripped in so many places because of the impact. And even though I was around twenty feet away, I could see the bruises and cuts on his grey skin.

I rushed towards my unconscious teammate and quickly wrapped my hand around Ren's wrist. "Rubanoid," I said to my partner bakugan in my other hand. "Teleport us. Hurry!"

"Say no more!" Rubanoid said.

"A prisoner who escaped and Barodius's loyal subject," Dharak said. "No matter. Barodius is through with both of you!" Dharak was ready and poised to strike as he shot one final blast to finish us off.

Rubanoid lit up bright red and I managed to glance at Dan's worried face across the canyon. Then, Rubanoid teleported us away before we could get blown up by Dharak.

POV: Dan

Sid and Ren teleported away, right before the blast could finish them off.

As Dharak began to fly away, I shouted after him, "Wait!"

Dharak stopped flying and landed on a pillar. "You're wasting your breath," Dharak stated.

"You jerk!" I cried out.

"Save your petty insults for our next battle," Dharak said, before he lifted his tail and shot a laser at Drago's feet. Soon after the impact ignited purple flames. Drago shielded me from the flames and we waited for them to die out. Once they did that, we looked back at the pillar in which Dharak had stood, but we saw that he'd already vanished.

"Where did he go?" I ask.

"Don't worry," Drago said. "He'll be back."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Help

POV: Sid

We successfully teleported to Bakugan Interspace, into the control room, which was still dark. Exactly like the last time I saw it. I wasn't sure how long I'd been in Kazarina's lab along with the others, but it felt like it had been a few weeks. That didn't matter.

I looked at Ren. He was still knocked-out from the blow in his head. I needed to know if he was still alive. I gently shook his shoulder, not wanting to make his injuries worse. "Ren," I said. "Wake up!"

There was no movement.

"Ren, can you hear me?" I asked a little louder. "Wake up!"

There was still no movement.

I placed the side of my head on his chest and waited for a heartbeat. I heard his heart thumping, and I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

I knew where the medical room was and that was where I planned to take Ren. I wrapped my left arm around Ren's shoulders, my other arm under his legs and scooped him up, cautious not hurt him even more than he was.

I heard Ren groaning and, to me, that was a good sign. I mean, yes, he was injured, but it just showed that he was alive. I carried him out of the control room, determined to help my teammate out.

POV: Dharak

"Are you out of your mind, Dharak?" Barodius asked.

"No, Barodius," I replied, not getting what he was upset about. "You and I both know that Ren was nothing but a puppet serving you – all because of a dream about freedom. So why do we still need him, may I ask?"

"Because he can get the Brawlers and the Neathians out of the way, fool. With him, I'll be able to get past the Shields without having to deal with those insects. You and I are strong, but your upgrades aren't ready yet. And the Brawlers are getting better with their battling skills the more they fight us. We need Ren and Linehalt in order for us to take control of the Sacred Orb. It was all going according to plan, and you tried to get rid of him earlier than we planned."

"I understand, Barodius," I said, knowing how useless that sounded.

"I don't need your understanding, Dharak," Barodius said. "Go arrange a group of soldiers to search the entire palace for Ren. And tell them to head to Earth and investigate Bakugan Interspace, as well."

"Yes, Sir."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Others

POV: Sid

Ren had been unconscious for about half an hour and I kept a close eye on him in case he woke up. I brought him to the medical room not too long ago and I bandaged his injuries. They weren't so bad; just a bruise and a cut here and there. There was a bruise on the back of his head, but it didn't look lethal. Ren's horns seemed to have protected his head from most of the blow, although they were cracked. At least Ren was still breathing.

And Ren's clothes were so ripped that they were beyond the point of being sewn together. Fortunately, Rubanoid and I teleported into Ren's old room in Marucho's mansion where I've found some clothes. I've found a pair of black jeans and a black half-sleeved shirt, along with a black leather jacket.

Now here Ren was on a white bed, all patched up and in the clothes I had gotten him.

Unexpectedly, Ren stirred and started thrashing about in his sleep. I rushed in and pinned him down. I didn't want him to hurt himself.

"Get out, you two!" Ren yelled. "Get out of there!"

 _‛Who's Ren talking about?'_ I asked myself.

Linehalt floated next to Ren. "He's having a terrible dream!" Linehalt said. "We have to wake him up before he hurts himself!"

"You've read my mind," I said. I shook Ren's shoulder and shouted, "Wake up, Ren! Wake up!"

POV: Ren

 _‛Everyone of the Brawlers were there fighting the Emperor. Dan, Jake, Shun disappeared in battle. Marucho was the only Brawler left. He was defending the Shields with his life. And what was I doing? I just stood there watching the fight. A part of me wanted to help the Brawler, but another part wanted to be free from the Darkness in which Linehalt and I were forced to live in._

 _Marucho's partner, Akwimos, took a shot from Dharak and fell on his back. Dharak floating in the air above Akwimos, poised to strike with his tail._

 _"Ability activate," Barodius shouted. "Evil Blow!"_

 _A ball of purple energy circulated in Dharak's mouth, enlarging as it did so. Dharak was going to finish Marucho off. I couldn't take it anymore._

 _"Get out, you two!" I yelled. "Get out of there!"_

 _But it was too late as the blast shot its way through the way, towards Marucho and Akwimos. The blast made impact._

"Marucho!" I cried out as I woke up from my sleep. I would've sat up straight it weren't for Sid's hands pinning me down. I managed to move my head, but pain shot in the back of it, making me groan in pain.

"Take it easy, dude," Sid said as I rested my head back on the pillow.

"Where am I?" I asked, trying not to show how embarrassed I was when I thought about Marucho.

"We're in Bakugan Interspace," Rubanoid replied. "You got shot by Dharak on Neathia and had been unconscious since then. We teleported here and Sid helped you with your injuries."

"Thanks. I owe you one," I said, slightly turning my head to look around for my partner. "Where's Linehalt?"

"I'm right here, Ren," Linehalt said, floating to my side. "Don't worry."

A sudden thought about my other teammates came to me. I decided to ignore the pain and tried to get up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sid asked, stopping me from getting out of bed.

"We have to save the others," I answered.

"Not when you're like this," Sid said. "Rubanoid and I are going to save the others. You are going to stay here where you can get some rest."

"I don't need any rest. I'm fine," I lied. "Let me come with you."

"Hmm, let me think. Not a chance. You're in pretty bad shape and you nearly got killed on Neathia. You can't even walk from the looks of things and, as much as I want to help out, I'm not going to carry you the whole way to save the others."

"I can walk," I lied again. "It's my fault that they got in this mess and I need to save them."

"It's not your fault," Sid said. "I heard that they got punished because of their mistakes: not yours. We all did. Like when I lost the Element, for example. I promise that I'll get them out. Right now, you just need to stay here."

"He's right, Ren," Linehalt concurred. "Let Sid and Rubanoid handle this."

"No," I refused. "Let me come with you. That's an order."

Sid sighed and said, "You know, Ren. We might have known each other for some time, but you've forgotten one thing about me."

"What?"

"I don't always follow orders," Sid pointed out. He raised his hand in front of me and threw some dust on my face. I wasn't sure what that was for, but then I suddenly felt a little drowsy and I passed out.

POV: Sid

I threw some dust on Ren's face and he passed out. I laid him back on the bed and rested his head on the pillow.

"What did you do?" Linehalt asked in worry.

"Relax," I said. "It's just some sleeping dust I made some time before I lost the Element. My father used to be a scientist and he taught plenty of things in case I ever needed them. I took some of the dust and a few other things before I left with the other soldiers to Neathia." I reached into my jacket pocket to show him a few small pouches of different tricks.

"How long does this last?" Linehalt asked.

"Just about two or three hours," I replied. "That should be enough time for Rubanoid and I to save the others before Ren wakes up and hurts himself. We better get going now. Who knows what Kazarina's up to at this moment?"

"Alright then," Linehalt said. "Be careful."

"No need to tell us twice," I grinned and Rubanoid teleported us out of the medical room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Sneaking In

POV: Sid

Rubanoid teleported just outside Kazarina's lab. It was a good thing that there were no guards in the corridor, or we would've had been busted. I pressed my ear against the door to listen to whatever was happening inside. I didn't hear anything; no sounds of footsteps; none of Kazarina's laughs. Nothing.

As soon as the door slid open, I immediately hid behind the platform in which Kazarina stood on. I was glad that her back was turned as she focused on upgrading something for Dharak. I thought that there was nothing inside while I was listening in the corridor. I must've gotten lucky, unless I'd gotten spotted by that witch.

I slowly crawled around to the right side of the platform, careful not to make any noise. Eventually, I caught sight of a couple of open doors and I saw status tubes containing my teammates. I quickly looked at Kazarina. Her back was still turned, so it was my chance to sneak in the room next door.

I rushed into the room and went toward one of the computers to see if I could figure out how to get them out. I saw nothing but DNA chains and scientific words I've never heard of. I'd spent some time in the control room back at Bakugan Interspace with Ren, who sometimes talked about the security and how his plans were going to work with the technology. And the technology used in Kazarina's lab was quite similar, so it should've been simple. But instead, some of this was complex, so I had no idea how to do this.

A different idea occurred to me. Instead of using the computers, I would just get my teammates out the same way I got out. I jumped and lifted myself up over the top of Lena's status tube first; I hoped the glass wouldn't break. I reached my arm into the green liquid, grapped the wires that were stuck to her body and pulled them off. I then put my hand under her right shoulder and hoisted her up over the top.

I suddenly lost my grip over the edge of the status tube and I fell, taking Lena with me. I landed on my back with Lena lying on top of me. I moved her onto the floor and tried to shake her awake. "Lena, wake up," I said.

Lena coughed and opened her blue eyes, looking slightly dizzy. "Sid?" she groaned.

"Yes, it's me," I whispered to her, wrapping her arm around my neck and helping her to her feet. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," she replied. "Thanks."

"No problem. Let's get the others out."

"Right."

"I can't let you do that," a new voice said. We spun around to see Kazarina standing next to the doors. "And I thought you were dead, Sid."

"And I thought the Emperor was through with you," I remarked.

"How dare you talk to me like that?"

"I dare because I really don't care," I replied. "I have no loyalty to the Emperor or any of the Twelve Orders. You may as well let the others go, since you have no use of them after all."

"Alright, Sid" Kazarina said with anger in her voice. "You came to save your teammates, I see. But you'll have to face me and Lumagrowl."

"Fine, then. You want a battle, you'll get one, witch."

"I'll join in, too," Lena said. "You're going to need my help, Sid."

"If you're up for it," I countered. Lena was right. I needed her help, but I didn't want her to get hurt – or anyone else for that matter.

"I am," Lena said. She looked to her left and I followed her gaze. Her partner, Aquos Phosphos, was floating in a status lock. Lena walked up to it and grabbed her partner out of it.

Lena turned around to look at me before she declared, "Let's do this, Sid. For the others."

"For the others," I repeated, taking Rubanoid out of my jacket pocket.

Then, Lena, Kazarina and I threw out Bakugans as we shouted, "Bakugan, brawl!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Doing Our Parts

POV: Linehalt

It had been about twenty minutes since Sid and Rubanoid left to save the other teammates. Ren was still out cold from the sleeping dust that Sid had thrown in his face. I knew that Sid and Rubanoid would get the others out – they were really strong partners – but I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Yes, they managed to get out of the lab, yet going back there was just as risky.

I just had to have faith. Sid and Rubanoid were doing their part and I was doing mine. I was just keeping a watchful eye on Ren as he slept peacefully. The dust really worked wonders.

A thud outside the door caught my attention.

POV: Jesse

My head hurt like crazy and I could barely move my body. I may have felt a little bit numb, but I could still feel vibrations. Like the kind people usually felt whenever the ground shook. Even though I was sure that I wasn't on the ground. I was floating. I was surrounded by something cold. I must've been in water or something. I wanted to say something like, _"_ _By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes"_ , but even I knew that this wasn't the time to be poetic.

My fingers twitched and my eyes opened slightly. My vision was blurry to begin with, but it cleared a little bit after a couple of seconds. I was in a type of liquid, floating in some kind of status tube. Judging by the green colour, I was sure that it wasn't water. Wires covered my body, making me think that I was a test subject. Through the glass, I saw Zenet in front of me.

She woke up.

POV: Zenet

I'd never felt so weak before.

I pushed the feeling aside and opened my good eye. I noticed Jesse across from me, awake. He had a confused look on his face. That wasn't what was bothering me though. It was something that felt like an earthquake. I scan the room and different Bakugans caught my eye. I recognised them immediately. Rubanoid, Phosphos and Lumagrowl. That was why there was shaking going on. A battle. I spot Sid and Lena, who were battling against Kazarina.

I turned back to Jesse and he seemed to have noticed, too. We had to help Sid and Lena. I gave Jesse a smile, hoping that he was thinking what I was thinking. He smiled back. He understood.

POV: Lena

"Ability activate," Sid said. "Scarlet Plate!" Red plates flew from Rubanoid to Lumagrowl, surrounding him and then emitting a vibrant shock.

"Ability activate," I added. "Gorgon Viper!" Blue energy blasts shot out of all of Phosphos's mouths and whooshed towards Lumagrowl.

"You both don't stand a chance," Kazarina remarked. "Ability activate. Garm Shield!" A bright yellow shield sparked to life and enclosed Lumagrowl, blocking Phosphos's ability. Kazarina grinned before she said, "No wonder the Emperor thought you were weak. Ability activate. Wolf Howler!" Lumagrowl got ready to strike and let off a massive yellow blast from his mouth.

"Ability activate," Sid yelled. "Crimson Defence!" Rubanoid then concealed himself with a ruby shield and stopped the attack from hitting us. It worked for a little while, but the impact was too strong as Rubanoid and Phosphos fell backwards. They lit up and then transformed into their ball forms.

"Give it up, you two," Kazarina said. "You should've known that you're weak compared to the Twelve Orders, even though it was two against one. I can make you stronger."

"By making us your lab rats?" I asked.

"You both can call yourselves my patients," Kazarina said. "Because, in a way, my experiments will help improve your strengths and battling skills. Let me give you some tests and –"

"Not a chance!" Sid cried out, glaring at the witch.

"You need to watch your tongue, Sid," Kazarina said. "You've completely forgotten who you're talking to."

"He knows who he's talking to," a female voice countered. I looked in the direction the voice came from and I spotted Zenet and Jesse standing outside their status tubes. "He's just not the test subject you should mess around with. Just like the rest of us."

"Zenet? Jesse?" I asked, staring at my teammates.

"Correct, milady," Jesse replied, poetic as usual. "We've awoken from our slumber and we're ready to flick through the pages to the chapter when we get rid of the Twelve Orders."

"We better get started, then," Sid smiled.

I took a look at Kazarina and I noticed her hand pressed against her ear. She was communicating with someone. She sneered before she removed her hand and said, "I don't know how all of you managed to wake up, but I don't care because the teacher's pet has been found."

Before we could say anything, Kazarina teleported away.

POV: Sid

"Who did she mean when she said, "teacher's pet"?" Zenet asked the same question we were all having.

"Not sure," I replied. "But whoever she was talking about has got to be quite important and –" An answer occurred to me, cutting me off mid-sentence. "It's Ren!"

"Ren?" Jesse asked. "Where is he?"

"Back at Bakugan Interspace. We have to hurry!"

All of our partners lit up and teleported us out of the lab and into a corridor of Bakugan Interspace. "This way!" I called out.

I ran down the corridor, the others following behind me. I finally found the door to the medical room in which Ren was in and it slid open. As soon as it opened, I stopped dead, making the others bumped into me.

"Ren's gone," I said.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – A Safe Plan

POV: Sid

"Where could Ren be?" Zenet asked.

"Back on Gundalia, that's for sure," Lena replied. "Kazarina probably has him in her lab."

"It's a possibility," I stated. "But Ren is one of the Emperor's most trusted subjects. So, what could she really want with him?"

"Who knows?" Zenet shrugged. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"True," I said. "Uh why are we still talking when we could be saving Ren?"

"We need a plan to find him, Sid," Lena responded. "We don't know if Kazarina has him."

"Didn't you see her with her hand covering her ear? She was contacting someone, before she said that the teacher's pet has been found. She's got to have a part in this."

"I get what you're saying, Sid," Zenet joined in. "But even if Ren's in her lab, what are we going to do to get there without being discovered? I mean, people would recognise us."

"Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't," Jesse stepped in, still as poetic as ever. Even in desperate times like this one.

"Seriously, Jesse," I asked, getting slightly agitated with Jesse's bad timing, even with those good phrases. "Now's not the time to –"

"Hear me out," Jesse interrupted. "I'm saying that serpent's normally sneaky, while it's hiding. It sometimes needs to pretend to be something they're not. So..." Jesse stalled and then he looked at Zenet, smiling.

I immediately understood what Jesse meant. Zenet's the serpent.

"Why is –?" Zenet began. Her eyes widen before she could finish her question, realising what was happening. "Oh no. I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," Lena differed. "You're the only person we know who can shape-shift into different people. Your power will be an advantage in order for us to find and rescue Ren."

"I know. But even if I transform into one of the Twelve Orders, Kazarina would still see right through me."

"We didn't suggest any of the Twelve Orders," I pointed out. A strange idea came into my head. "Can you make someone up and then transform into that person?"

"Yes, I can turn into anyone and everyone. Real or not. Why?"

"Because what if you go as a guy in which you've made up, and then hide under a soldier's armour?"

"What's the point in me changing my looks if I were to wear amour?" Zenet aske

"Because if you do that and someone in the Twelve Orders takes your helmet off, they wouldn't recognise you," I replied. "They would think that you're a guy who's a part of the Gundalian forces."

"That's a good strategy," Jesse said. "And Kazarina sometimes get escorted to places with soldiers following behind her. So Zenet could join in on their way to their lab, look for Ren and contact us to help get him out – if he's there."

"He's got to be," Lena said. "Can't think of anywhere else."

"I want to help," Zenet said, worry in her eye, "but what if I screwed up?"

Contestir, Zenet's Haos partner, floated up to the front of her face. "Don't worry, Zenet," he calmly said. "You're great at this with the power you have. You can do this. Besides, I'll be with you the whole time. We're partners."

There was a pause. It looked like Contestir's words were sinking in. He really knew how to calm her down and coax her when it came to difficult circumstances. Zenet sighed, "Alright. Count me in!"

"That's the spirit," I smiled. "We better get started. Ren's going to need our help right now."

"Got it," Zenet said. "I'll contact any of you if something comes up. Let's go, Contestir."

"Hold on," Contestir said to Zenet, resting himself onto her hand. They teleported away, leaving the rest of us to wait for whatever would happen next.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Being the Serpent under a Flower

POV: Zenet

To be on the safe side, Contestir teleported us into my room at the palace on Gundalia. There really wasn't anything different about it. It looked just the same as it had done before I was punished by Gill. The bed was still wrinkled; the picture of me and Contestir was still on my petite bedside cabinet; and, looking inside the drawer, my safe box was still there. I always kept the key on a key ring just on the tag under my hat. When people saw it, I usually told them that it was my lucky charm.

There was no time to lose. My friends were counting on me. I had to find Ren. And I had the perfect disguise in mind.

I focused my mind on the disguise and let my power take over, making my body shimmer a vibrant yellow. Once my body turned back to normal, I looked to find myself wearing Gundalian armour and holding a staff. I removed my helmet, turned my gaze to the mirror on the wall and I saw that my reflection wasn't my own. It was man's. About twenty, with short raven hair and red highlights, along with a braid down to his cheek. His eyes were gold, rimmed with green. This is the disguise I thought about. I made a mental note to tell Sid what a great idea he had.

"Perfect," Contestir commented. "No one will recognise you now. Let's go."

"Right," I said, noticing that I still sounded like myself. I put my helmet back on, cleared my throat and repeated the word in a deeper voice, "Right." That voice should work.

I peeked through the window just in time to see Kazarina and two soldiers walk past. Once they were about ten feet away, I let the door slide open and I participated in following Kazarina, right behind the two soldiers.

We walked along a few corridors until we finally came across two doors, which slid open to reveal the lab. This was a different part of the lab, though. It was more spacious, with not a lot of equipment around. In the centre of the room was a trolley with some tools on top of it. And beside the trolley was a table... with Ren lying unconscious on it.

I started to move my hand to my ear to tell the others, but then I stopped. I almost stiffened when I saw another person on the other side of the room. This wasn't just a person, though. It was a Twelve Order. It was Gill. He hadn't changed a bit. He was clad in his usual crimson robes to match his hair. And his eyes had never been so secretive. He hired me to spy on Kazarina before he punished me, so it was clear that he was hiding something. What he wasn't hiding was the fact that he didn't trust Kazarina one bit, judging by the look on his face.

"So, tell me, Kazarina," Gill began. "What do you plan to do to Ren?"

"Well, Ren knows that his teammates are still alive and I have a feeling that they'll team up against us and the rest of the Twelve Orders," Kazarina said, moving towards the trolley. "However, Barodius still needs him and Linehalt. So, my plan is to adjust their memories about being shot Dharak's blast on Neathia and their knowledge of the rest of the team. After that, I'll replace it with a false memory. That way, Ren and Linehalt will stay on our side and Barodius will decide what to do to them next."

I had to do something, but what? I couldn't contact the others without blowing my cover, but I couldn't let Kazarina do this to Ren either. What was I going to do and how would I do it?

Kazarina picked up a tool from the trolley and I wasn't sure what it was. A spark appeared on the end as Kazarina moved towards Ren. She was going to erase his memory straight away!

Instantly, I knocked the soldiers out by hitting them hard in their heads with my staff, causing them to fall to the floor. Kazarina stopped what she was doing and, without warning, zapped me with her hand. I ended up flying through the air and into a wall.

Suddenly, the minute I landed on the floor, I felt my body change.

"Zenet?" Gill asked, surprised.

"The one and only," I replied, standing up. "You're both going down."

"Always speaking whatever's on your mind," Kazarina remarked. "And what are you doing here, may I ask?"

"I came here to stop you from hurting Ren," I said.

Kazarina cackled, "You and your partner are going to stop _me_?"

"Not just us," I said curtly. I quickly put my hand on my ear and said, "Kazarina's lab! Hurry!"

With that, Kazarina zapped at me again, longer than before. My screams echoed in the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – A Deadly Touch

POV: Lena

I was anxious to know if Zenet was alright and if she found Ren or not. I knew that she could trick people by trying on someone else's skin, but I always couldn't help but have a prick of worry in my gut. She was one of the friends I'd had made while I was part of the team. She was out there on a simple yet risky task, and we were waiting in the medical room for something to happen. What –

 _"_ _Kazarina's lab! Hurry!"_

I suddenly heard Zenet's voice in my head. It was then followed by her screams.

"Guys," I said to Jesse and Sid. "Zenet's in Kazarina's lab. Let's go! Now!"

"Right," my fellow teammates said in unison.

We then teleported into a very spacious room, which had nothing but a tool trolley in the centre, along with a table. Ren was lying out cold on top of the table.

"There's Ren," I pointed out.

"And there's Zenet," added Jesse, looking in a different direction. I followed his gaze and I saw Zenet getting zapped repeatedly by Kazarina, screaming.

Kazarina unexpectedly stopped and said, "Gill punished you. Now it's my turn!"

I started running towards the witch. "NO!" I howled, jumping on her back.

All of a sudden, I had a strange sensation flowing right through me. It felt like something deadly was taking over me. But at the same time, I felt like I was causing it. It was so intense that I could hardly stop whatever was happening.

Kazarina fell to the floor, groaning. I let go of her and I noticed that her chest was turning an eerie dark grey colour.

 _‛_ _Did I do that?'_ I thought to myself, looking at my hands. They were glowing and they same shade of grey that was on Kazarina's chest. I did do that. Only I wasn't exactly sure of what I did. I glanced at Kazarina and I noticed that she looked like she was going to pass out from whatever I did to her. She was also wheezing; her lips were a lot bluer than her own skin; and saliva was trailing out of her mouth and down her cheek.

These were symptoms. Symptoms of poison.

I stood where I was, gawping at my hands. They dimmed until they were back to normal. They lethal sensation I'd had earlier was gone. I had no idea that I possessed such dangerous power.

"What's this?" Gill cried out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Lena, when did you learn to do that?" Sid asked, sprinting towards me alongside Jesse.

"Haven't a clue," I replied.

"Can we figure that out later and get Ren and Zenet out of here?" Jesse asked, reminding me why we were in the lab.

"Oh, right," I said, forgetting my newly-discovered ability.

"You'll pay for this," Lumagrowl stated, floating towards Kazarina and then teleported her away.

"We'll worry about Ren's team later. Time to go, Krakix," Gill said before he and his partner teleported.

"I'll get Zenet," said Jesse, already rushing to Zenet's side.

"And I'll get Ren," Sid said. He ran towards Ren and I decided to follow him. Once we've reached the table, we unbuckled the bonds that were round Ren's arms, legs and torso. Just on the edge of the table, I spotted Linehalt in some sort of status tube. I grabbed him and placed him inside a pocket of my dress.

POV: Sid

As soon as Lena and I finished unbuckling Ren's bonds, I positioned my arms under his legs and his back and lifted him off the table. He groaned in pain, but I ignored that as Lena and I moved away from the table to get to Jesse and Zenet.

Jesse had Zenet's arm round his neck and his arm was wrapped around her waist while he helped her to her feet. We got close to them before Rubanoid floated in front of us.

"I know a place where the Twelve Orders won't be able to find us," he declared. He glowed bright red and then teleported us out of the witch's lab.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Deserted

POV: Sid

We got teleported to a beach somewhere, instantly getting wet from the rain and cold from the air. Right in front of us was some sort of beach house. I guessed that the house was very ancient because of the broken pieces of grey wood in the building's structure. It looked like there were three floors in the house judging by the number of rows of windows. No one seemed to be around, so this might've been a great place to hide.

I wanted to ask Rubanoid how he knew this place, but it wasn't really a good time for questions. All that mattered was that we had to hide from the Twelve Orders and that we had to keep each other safe.

"We should be safe here," Rubanoid said, floating towards the entrance of the house.

I started walking, the others following behind me. As I carried Ren in my arms, he repetitively shivered from the freezing weather. Apparently, the leather jacket he was wearing really wasn't much of help. I knew that the entire team was feeling the same way, but Ren was still wounded from the Dharak's blast on Neathia; so he was the one who needed help the most. As soon as we got inside the house, his injuries would be checked again. He'd probably need different clothes, too; just in case of hypothermia.

We made it to the entrance and Jesse knocked on the door. I was about to tell him that the place looked deserted so nobody would be home. But a female voice from behind the door stopped me.

"Who's there?" the voice asked.

"It's Rubanoid, along with friends who need help," Rubanoid replied. "Remember me, Grace?"

The voice didn't answer, but, instead, opened the door just a few inches. There stood a woman who might've been about fifty, slightly taller than Zenet, with big green eyes and long black hair lightened with grey. She glanced at me for several seconds and I got a small feeling that she knew me. Regardless, I was surprised how this woman wasn't scared of us one bit. I mean, she was a human and we were from another world.

She looked at Rubanoid as he floated in front of her face. "It's been a long time, Grace," he said. "You haven't changed much. You look good."

"Thanks, Rubanoid," Grace said, her voice a little shaky. "Let's get all of you inside and get you warmed up. Don't want you to stand out there in the rain."

Grace opened the door further and let us in. As I walked past her, she had that look in her eyes again. The I-know-you look. I'd have to talk to her about it later.

Grace offered us some blankets and coffee the minute she closed the door. We accepted and she told me to lay Ren down on the couch in the living room as she went to get the blankets and coffee. There really wasn't much in there. Just some photos on the mantel piece above the fireplace, a couple of beige couches with some creamy-coloured cushions to match the wallpaper and a brown wooden table in the centre on a black carpet. I placed Ren on a nearby couch, put one of the cushions under his head and covered him with a woolly blanket.

Grace came back with a silver tray that had cups of steaming hot coffee on it, along with some blankets draped over both her arms. Jesse, with his weird attitude of a gentleman, offered to take the tray off her. Grace said it was fine, but Jesse helped out anyway and placed the tray on the table. Grace gave each of us a blanket and we all took a cup of coffee from the tray.

"So how do you and Grace know each other, Rubanoid?" Lena asked, after she took a sip from her cup.

"I used to be Sid's father partner," Rubanoid began. "During that time, we loved coming to Earth - there was always something new to discover on this planet. Anyway, we've found Grace lying wounded on the beach one day. Once we brought her back to this house, Sid's father helped her with her injuries. They chatted for a little while and Sid's father left after he promised to check on her soon. He did that and ever since then, they began hanging out more often and soon became friends. Some time later, secrets were revealed."

"Secrets?" Zenet repepeated.

"Yes," Rubanoid answered. "Sid's father told Grace about Gundalia and, in return, Grace told him about the planet in which she was from."

"She's from a different world?" Lena asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes, I am," Grace replied instead. "Fooled you a little bit, didn't I? You see, where I came from, we look a lot exactly like humans."

"And where exactly are you from, may I ask?" Jesse enquired.

"New Vestroia," Grace said. Before we could say anything else, she continued with the story from where Rubanoid left off. "After we told each other about our home planets, we decided to date in secret. There had been some restrictions about different species from different worlds seeing each other back then. We were scared that if anyone had found out, they'd hurt us or worse. The secret had been going on for a couple of years and our relationship got serious. We got married some time later, but then Sid's started acting strange. He said that someone he used to know wanted him to leave me and never come back. He agreed to it as he figured that it would keep me safe. We still kept in contact, without anyone finding out." Grace looked at me and said, "Then I told him about you, Sid."

"About me?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Your father didn't leave me completely alone," Grace replied. "I was pregnant when your father left. When I told him about you, he came back for a few days. Then, I asked him to raise you on Gundalia. I also knew that I shouldn't see you again. Your father and I got separated because of someone he knew and we didn't anything to happen to you. Your fatherunderstood and he reluctantly took you with him back to Gundalia. And I never saw you or your father again. I wanted to, but I knew that it was to keep the three of us safe."

"I can't believe this," I said.

Grace stood up and picked up one of the photos on the mantel piece. "Believe it," she said, handing me the photo.

I looked at the photo and my eyes slightly widened. It was a picture of my father with his arm wrapped around a radiant young woman. I guessed it was Grace as the woman had black hair and the same green eyes.

"It was taken right after we got married," Grace pointed out. "The minute you walked through that door carrying your friend in you arms, I knew it was you, Sid. You look so much like him."

I was so surprised to hear all this. Since my father really was involved with Grace before she got pregnant, that would make her my mother. I was talking to the mother I never knew I had. And since my father was a Gundalian and Grace was from New Vestroia, then that would make me a hybrid. I had Vestal blood flowing through my veins.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
